comori mici
by controlled climb
Summary: For the HPFC Forum Wide Competition. One shots with numerous pairings, ratings and genres. Go Ravenclaw!
1. Week One

**comori mici**: A collection of stories for the Forum Wide Competition on the Harry Potter FanFiction Challenges forum.

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**Challenge One. **

**Prompt**: Void

**House**: Ravenclaw

notes: Ah, mild language ;D A huge thank you goes to _**SiriusMarauderFan**_ for being my beta for this story. She's absolutely amazing, and this story would have gone to custard without her :)

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**Don't Fail Me Now, Boy**

Lily Evans/James Potter || Romance

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Life is a bitch.

That was the only coherent thought running through Lily's mind. It was totally ironic how everything can go from being so perfect to so… not. If she was perfectly honest with herself, Lily knew that it was all her fault because, well, you can only refuse a guy so many times before he'll give up. It was just that she hadn't thought he would give up. She thought that maybe – just maybe – he truly loved her. But if that were true, she wouldn't be crying her eyes out, would she?

So, she was harsh with him. She was testing him, though. For six long years she tested him, wondering when he would give up. Of course, she hadn't expected that he would. After all those years of listening to him proclaiming his love for her (usually at some incredibly inappropriate time, such as during exams), she had, for a few fleeting moments, believed him.

It seemed so easy, the idea of falling in love. Well, James made it seem easy. He'd never questioned it – not in front of her, at least. He simply went with it. Yes, he made an idiot of himself because of this decision, but in the most vomit-worthy way, it was kind of cute.

"Lily…" Alice, one of her close friends began, sounding rather hesitant. "Are you quite alright?"

At this Lily scowled. Oh yes. She had just had her heart ripped out of her chest, had run out of the Great Hall crying, and was currently lying on her bed with her face buried into her pillow. Of course she wasn't _quite alright_. And what's worse? It was all her fault.

"I thought you'd be happy," Alice continued, failing to notice the way that Lily's fists had clenched. "You've wanted him to get over you for Merlin knows how long, and now he has. So what's the problem?"

Lily didn't reply. Instead she rolled over, glaring at her friend through red-rimmed eyes. Looking over to her drawers, she flashed Alice what she hoped was a smile, though she was fairly certain that it came out as a grimace of some sorts. "The ice cream, please?"

Glancing at the tub, Alice laughed. "Sorry, Lil. It's empty."

"Empty? I finished it?"

"Yes. But seriously, Lily, what's wrong?"

Brilliant. She was heartbroken, all the things she'd mentioned before, and now she was ice cream deprived. Could the day get much worse? With a single tear slipping down her cheek, she realized that yes, yes it could. And then, to her great despair and astonishment, everything just started to slip out.

"Didn't you see that way they were _latched_ to each other?" Lily wailed. "It's disgusting! And it's not fair. He was _mine_ first. I bet she's paying him! The nasty, two-timing, horrible, ugly –"

"Who?" Alice asked, effectively ending Lily's tirade. "You don't seriously mean…" she trailed off momentarily, wondering if she dared to bring the topic up again. "… that you fancy _James Potter?_"

"Of course I do!" Lily snapped in reply. "He _loves_ me. He's mine!"

Alice stared at her best friend. Usually Lily was the calm, logical one. For some reason, this didn't strike Alice as either calm or logical. "You've been rejecting him for six years…"

"No**,** I haven't!"

"What?" Alice exclaimed in disbelief, shaking her head. "Yes**,** you have!"

Lily bit her lip, not wanting admit that Alice was, as always, correct. Well, come to think of it, she hadn't really rejected him… Just trampled on his heart a little bit and yelled her non-existent hatred towards him in front of everybody. Okay, maybe she _had_ rejected him.

She'd done it all for good reason though. Like any other girl, she didn't _want_ to set herself up for heartbreak. And James Potter? Well, he practically screamed running mascara, and tubs of ice cream.

"Why don't you, I don't know, talk to him?" Alice rolled her eyes, not granting Lily the sympathy that she wanted so much.

At the first, the very suggestion appalled Lily. How could Alice even think such a thing? James was not someone that you simply sauntered up and _talked_ to. He was someone that you stared at and daydreamed about, and on the right occasion, yelled at. Talking didn't come under any of those categories. Then again, the boy did, apparently, like to work his mouth.

Lily stood, staring at him, for quite some time. For the first time in her life, she felt quite utterly speechless. James was staring right back her, though his gaze was expectant, and somewhat impatient, and not awkward or worried.

Right. She had to execute this perfectly. She knew James wasn't, though quite smart, incredibly bright when it came to matters such as these, and it wouldn't do to confuse him. Maybe subtle hints would be the best. Something like –

"Why'd you kiss her?"

Oh. Well not something like _that_, at any rate, Lily thought, mentally slapping herself on the forehead, as James continued to stare at her. His face was void of emotion, though his mouth hung slightly open. For a few fleeting moments, he considered the idea that he was daydreaming, but judging by the pretty blush on Lily's cheeks, he highly doubted that. He grinned inwardly at this, even though he knew it was highly inappropriate to do so.

"Marlene?" James asked flippantly, leaning against the stonewall and lifting an eyebrow at her. "She asked me to."

"She... she asked you to?" Lily spluttered. "And you did - just like that?"

"Why do you ask?" Oh, he had a pretty good idea why, but it would nice for her to admit it. Because, believe it or not, all those years of being rejected had kind of hurt him. It would be nice to hear perfect Lily Evans admit that she was wrong.

"I just..." Lily bit her lip nervously. Maybe he had finally given up. Maybe he didn't love her anymore. Maybe the past six years had been some elaborate joke. "I thought you loved me."

"Good of you to believe me after six years."

"So what? You snogged her to make me believe you? You do realize that's the most twisted logic I've ever had the displeasure of hearing of."

James sighed, running his hand through his hair and peering down at her. "Actually, Marlene wanted me to help her make Diggory jealous."

Silence. There was complete silence as the news sunk in. Awkward silence.

Pursing her lips, Lily resisted the urge to smash her head against the wall. Never in her life had she felt like such an idiot, and she had done quite a lot of idiotic things. And damn it all if he wasn't smirking at her.

"Would you break my heart?" Lily asked suddenly. "If I believed you, I mean. Would you break my heart?"

He shrugged in reply. "I've told you I've loved you for the last six years. What do you think?"

He wasn't being hopeful. He'd learnt a long time ago that the more you get your hopes up, the more it hurt when they were crushed. And Lily Evans did seem to crush his hopes a lot, even if she didn't realize it. After a few minutes of silence, James was starting to get impatient again.

"Give me one chance," he said. As she opened her mouth to respond, he held up his hands. "Just one chance. Call it a test, if you will."

"And if you fail?"

"Fail?"

"Lying, cheating, playing games, or in any other way not taking the relationship seriously."

James simply looked at her in astonishment. He had been using that line - _give me one chance -_ for years now, and he hadn't really thought that it would have much effect on her. Apparently he was mistaken. Well, he couldn't let this chance slip by now, could he?

"I won't break your heart, Lily," he said softly.

"I haven't given it to you yet, have I?" she retorted, smiling slightly. "One date, Potter. Make it worth my while, yeah?"

He couldn't help but to grin. He didn't feel about it either. After waiting for so long, that's the least he deserved, right? So he'd finally - well, almost - got the girl. Now all he had to do was keep her. And well, he was James Potter, so that wasn't going to be too hard.

"Why don't we start now?"

Lily looked up, shocked at his easy reply. From the look on his face, she had expected him to jump up and down and squeal like a little girl. "Excuse me?"

"Let's go on a date," James said. "Right now. I'll take you to the kitchens, if you like."

"You know where the kitchens are?" she asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

"Always the tone of surprise," he teased, unconsciously falling back into the usual playful banter that he was accustomed to.

For once though, Lily didn't mind it, and she replied by batting him half-heartedly with her hand. It was going to be past curfew soon, she was sure of that. Then again...

"You do owe me some ice cream..." Lily grinned. She then surprised him by taking his hand, and pulling him along the corridor, only for him to laugh and pull her the other way.

Yeah. Life's definitely a bitch, but sometimes fate makes up for it. Sometimes.


	2. Week Two

**Challenge Two.**

**House Character**: Penelope Clearwater

**House**: Ravenclaw

notes: Uh. No warnings - Don't think so anyway xD. Thanks to **_Ariana Ethaitrius _**for being my beta for this story! You're absolutely amazing.

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**Empty Classrooms, Snogging, And Little Sisters**

Penelope Clearwater/Percy Weasley || Romance/Family

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Penelope grinned as Percy gave her a rather discreet nod during the Prefect meeting. She knew exactly what that meant. It was getting more difficult now to continue their relationship, and she was fighting as hard as she could to hold on. She'd never been in love before, but she almost felt whole with Percy, and if that was as good as it was going to get, she sure as hell wasn't going to let him casually waltz out of her life.

The twins, his annoying younger brothers, were getting more perceptive though. They had never been observant in the previous years she had known them, so she guessed it was something to do with age. Percy, for some reason, didn't want his brothers finding out. Penelope had asked him why once, but he had merely shrugged his shoulders in response, and then quickly changed the subject.

The Prefect meeting ended, and Penelope found herself exiting the room and walking briskly down the corridor, occasionally flicking her hair back and looking over her shoulder. Catching sight of the familiar redhead a few metres away from her, she grinned, speeding up.

Sidestepping into the empty Charms classroom, she let out a delighted squeal as she felt his hands around her waist. Batting them away, she turned to close the door before facing him.

"You're a fast walker," Percy gasped. Even after weeks of following her, weaving through the corridors, and hiding away in classrooms and broom closets, he still couldn't figure out how such a petite girl could move so quickly.

"You could have ran," Penelope teased.

He frowned at this – the thought of doing such a thing not appealing to him in the slightest. With an elaborate sigh, Penelope sat herself on Professor Flitwick's desk, her legs swinging like pendulums as she smiled at her boyfriend.

"I was joking, Perce."

"Oh," he muttered, looking rather put out and lowering his eyes.

"Hey, hey, I didn't mean it like that," Penelope murmured, reaching out her hand to tilt his face so that he met her gaze. In truth, his lack of humour did annoy her a little bit. It made it almost impossible to carry a conversation without offending him. He was sweet though, and she genuinely fancied him.

They hadn't really been friends before they started dating. In fact, she couldn't recall ever really talking to him. But somewhere between patrolling the halls, awkward glances, and almost kisses, Penelope had come to the conclusion that she fancied Percival Weasley. So with a few awkward attempts at flirting (awkward would definitely be the right word…), Percy finally got it.

"Sure," Penelope continued offhandedly. "You need to learn that I'm not always insulting you, and that I do like you, Percy. I like you an awful lot."

He was silent. The only sound filling the room was the clicking of the backs of her shoes hitting the wooden table every few seconds. Chewing on her bottom lip, Penelope wondered for a fleeting second if she had said the wrong thing. It didn't look like he had taken offense, but Percy never had been one to wear his heart on his sleeve.

"This is where you're meant to say, I like you too," she prompted, smiling weakly.

"I like you too," Percy replied, almost robotically. She sighed as he tugged a strand of her hair affectionately, marvelling at how the curl sprung neatly back into place, before turning to leave, telling her, "I've got Charms homework to do."

Penelope frowned, jumping off the desk and linking her hand with his. "We only got the assignment today."

"Yes, well, I ought to finish it."

"You've already started it?" she asked in disbelief. To think she was meant to be the work-obsessed Ravenclaw. "It's due in two weeks, Percy."

Percy flushed. "Yes, well…"

"Go! Go, go if you must," Penelope sung dramatically, her fluttering above her chest. With a twirl, she wrapped her arms around his neck, grinning as his hands automatically shifted to her waist.

Pressing her lips against his, she pressed her body against his. She was always the one to initiate things. Sometimes it was annoying… but mostly it was fun, and she couldn't help but giggle as he wrapped his arms around her. Putting her palms on his chest and breaking away from him, she winked.

"You've got Charms homework, don't you?"

Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Percy uttered, "Uh. Yes?"

"Well, go on," Penelope nodded in the direction of the slightly open door.

Wait. Open?

Letting a quiet gasp in astonishment, her eyes fell on young Ginny Weasley. Great, as if getting Percy alone wasn't hard enough as it was. Unless Percy could perhaps convince the younger girl not to spill the beans? Not that Penelope would have minded, but there was no way that Percy was going to actually _want_ his brothers knowing what was going on between them.

And he would start grovelling in three… two… one…

_Sweet Merlin, that boy is predictable, _Penelope thought, chuckling to herself as her boyfriend fell on his hands and knees and begged.


	3. Week Three

**Challenge Three.**

**Set**: Six (Romance)

**Prompts Used**:

Flower Petals

Tingling

Starlight

"Meeting you was fate. But falling for you was out of my control."

Fireworks!

Breathless

(Also, this was written before Tat edited the list, so I also used "dancing" and "rain," but considering I still met the requirements anyway, that's not particularly important).

**House**: Ravenclaw

notes: A huge thank you to **_msllamalover _**who is one the most amazing betas that I have ever had the joy of working with!

In the third paragraph, I would have put _NEWTs_ (with the dots) but for some reason Document Manager kept editing that and making it _N.E._ which probably wouldn't have done a lot of good ;) So I put _exams_ instead.

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**Wishing On A Star**

Hermione Granger || Romance/Hurt/Comfort

- _Pairing is Hermione/Ron, but the "interaction" is between Hermione/Fred_ -

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If there's one thing that every little girl dreams about, it's finding her Prince Charming, sharing that perfect kiss in the rain and eventually riding off into the sunset with a diamond ring on her finger. And even though she was the practical sort, Hermione Granger was no exception. She found the idea unrealistic, childish and a waste of time. Yet there was a still a part of her the wished for her happily ever after.

The idea was abandoned as she grew up. When she was thrust into war as a teenager, she not only left behind her fairytale dreams, but also her hopes of finding love. There was no place for love during war. Too much could happen, and it would be fine thing if everyone made it out unscathed, physically and emotionally.

A year passed. She no longer had the excuse of war. People had finally begun to pick up their lives and even George, dear George who'd lost his twin, was showing signs of life. Hermione had everything going for her. She was a heroine of war, had successfully brought her parents back and she had completed her exams with flying colours. She had even secured a job at the Ministry. The only thing left to do was settle down.

Her teenage years had been wasted in a sense. She knew that and for the most part, she was okay with it. There was no desire to go back, or even try to live like she could have, now that she was free. She was an adult now and intended to act like it.

She'd fallen in love once. Like everyone had predicted, she had fallen for her best friend, Ronald Weasley. The kiss in the Room of Requirement… Well, it had certainly been something. It wasn't perfect. She didn't close her eyes and feel fireworks, like some old cliché. It was better than good though and she distinctively remembered feeling breathless after they broke apart.

Hermione closed her eyes, remembering the scene with a smile on her face. With her legs crossed and her hands folded neatly on her lap, she began to speak again.

"It's funny, Fred. If you were here you probably would've pranked him for being such a dense git, but… well, you aren't here, are you? It's been a year and he hasn't done anything. Maybe I should give up. Oh, you'd prank _me_ for saying that. I feel so silly though. Falling in love with him was a stupid thing to do. Meeting him should've been enough for me. We really are the best of friends, including Harry, of course."

She broke with a sigh, her fingers tracing the engraved words. She hadn't been particularly close to Fred. She hadn't really been close to anyone that had died. But for some reason coming to his grave – talking to him – it helped. Whether it was because saying things out loud cleared her mind, or because she wanted to talk to Fred, she wasn't sure. She guessed it was the former, but she still visited. It felt right. Besides, he always knew what to do.

"I know what you would have told me, Fred. You would have done that annoying sentence sharing thing with George and told me to snog him senseless. I did that at the battle though. Apparently it didn't work very well. And no, Fred, I refuse to use one of your love potions. Which reminds me, I think George fancies Angelina. You don't mind, do you? Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. He's just as daft as Ronald, really. Won't do a thing about it."

Dropping her hand from the gravestone, she let her eyes skim over the familiar words, which caused a lump in her throat every time she read them. It didn't seem fair that he'd been lost. He'd been one of those people who she'd never felt completely comfortable around, but had always admired from a distance, even if she didn't show it when she was scolding him for his pranks. Fred had made things seem easy, a skill that Hermione wished upon herself. He was someone who made everything seem okay. His mouth, even in death, had a permanent smile and always seemed to be ringing with laughter. If she wasn't so set on the rules, Hermione was quite sure that she could've fallen in love with him.

Except, of course, she had to fall for his younger brother instead. It was Ron, not Fred, who sent a tingle up her spine whenever their hands accidently brushed against each other. It was Ron who she wished for when she sang that silly Muggle rhyme that her mother had taught her about the stars. And it was Ron who popped into her mind whenever yet another song about unrequited love played on the wireless.

"You must be having a right laugh wherever you are. You probably think I'm mental. I suppose I am. I must come here at least once a week to complain. Never once have I thought to bring flowers for you. I did this time though. Figured that you deserved it for listening to me jabber on about your younger brother, yes? Not that you have much choice."

She fingered the red petals, marvelling at the beauty of the rose before placing it down on the earth. It felt strange – really strange – to think that Fred Weasley was really down there. Hermione shuddered involuntarily at the thought, and pulled her wrap tighter around her small frame.

Picking herself up off the ground, she glanced wistfully downwards, pondering her parting words. She usually told him that she'd do something about Ron and that she had a really good feeling about this week. It wasn't there though. The hope that usually gathered in the pit of her stomach was non-existent. With a watery smile, Hermione blinked her tears away.

"I better go. You know, I might try that 'snogging senseless' thing this week. It's got to be the only thing I haven't tried… well, I haven't tried again, that is. Besides, that's what you would have said, right? You always were rather clever. Yes, that's what I'll do. Git's as thick as anything though, so don't get your hopes up."

With that, Hermione left the graveyard. She was determined this week. Not hopeful, determined. As the wind billowed around her, a single rose petal danced around her. And she laughed, because she'd always known that he had been listening. Her eyes were lit with a smile as she watched it fly away. Funny, how the wind was in the direction of the Burrow that day. Maybe wishing on a star really did work.


	4. Week Four

**Week Four.**

**Character Given**: Neville Longbottom of _Gryffindor_

**Character Chosen**: Hannah Abbott of _Hufflepuff_

**House**: Ravenclaw

Notes: Slightly suggestive in some parts and drinking. Reference from _Legally Blonde_. A huge thank you goes to **amerikanka **for being my beta for this round ;D

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**Changing**

Hannah Abbott/Neville Longbottom || Romance/Friendship/Hurt/Comfort

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Hannah Abbott had been a dangerous girl. She was the sort of person that every girl hated because of the length, or lack thereof, her skirt and the size of her bra. And it's for those reasons exactly that every boy loved her. She would flirt a bit here and there – 'dropping' her quill became a regular occurrence, as did flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder and winking in not-so subtle manners.

Neville Longbottom had been a different story. He stuttered at the very thought of even looking at a girl in _that_ way. He wasn't blind though, and he did notice Hannah's looks and didn't mind running his eyes over her every now and again. Either way, Neville knew that he had no chance with a girl like her, and he wasn't sure that he wanted one.

It was five years later when he met up with her. Five years after meaningless bend-and-snaps, awkward silences, too short skirts and dreams that had left him hot and sweaty.

"Neville. Neville Longbottom?" Hannah questioned. She took a moment to peer at his face, squinting as she tried to see the weedy boy she once knew in the man in front of her. But instead of a lanky boy with shaking hands and a good-for-nothing aura, she saw just another man – a man in desperate need for a drink.

"Hannah. Hannah Abbott," he replied tiredly, running his fingers through his brown hair. Slapping a few coins onto the counter top he pushed them towards her, raising his eyebrows expectantly at the bartender.

The treatment was nothing new and almost automatically she gathered up the galleons and in return handed over a bottle and a glass. Hannah watched him carefully as he ignored the glass, opting to drink straight from the bottle instead. It was a curious sight. She never would have expected Neville Longbottom, of all people, to be in her pub in the middle of the night and drinking like _that_.

"How are you, Neville?"

He gazed at her for a few moments. Yes, she was definitely Hannah Abbott, all right. It had always been like that with her. A simple 'how are you' paired with a seductive little smile as she ran her hands up and down your arm. Except, she wasn't doing either – not this time.

"You've changed too," Hannah forced a weak laugh, seeing the dismayed look on his face as he stared across at her in disbelief. "Probably a lot more than I have," she added, shrugging at him.

"Uh. Well…" he trailed off, looking at her modest neckline, scruffy hair that had been thrown into a ponytail in a few seconds and face void of make-up. Not exactly how he remembered her. "Maybe not."

"Maybe not," she mused. "You look good though."

He blushed at this, reminding Hannah of the geeky boy she remembered from school. As he stammered through his thanks, she poured another glass, this time popping a bottle for herself at the same time.

"You've changed a lot," Neville muttered, casting a quick glance around the counter, almost expecting someone to leap out and hit him for talking to her. If he remembered correctly, all her past boyfriends had been rather possessive of her – probably because she had gone through them so quickly.

"So I've heard," Hannah smiled, watching as his eyes darted nervously around her. "Who are you looking for?"

"Your boyfriend." The words slipped out of Neville's mouth before he had a chance to think about them, and so did her laugh.

"I'm single," she explained, giggling quietly. "And you?"

"The same."

They looked at each other over their glasses for several moments. Neither war nor time had treated them kindly. Dark circles rimmed their eyes and scars marked their bodies. She had forgotten the beauty that she used to live for, and him the spirit that he used to let run free. Childhood was long forgotten between the two – like a faraway fantasyland that they had never been able to explore thoroughly, thanks to the war.

"So… I'll see you around, right?" Hannah said with a hopeful smile as he got up to leave.

He turned back, a flash of the flirtatious Hannah he used to know flashing through his mind. Choking slightly, he managed to mutter, "Y-yeah…"

Maybe they hadn't changed _that_ much.


	5. Week Five

**Challenge Five**.

**Lyrics**: Hard To Find Her by Zed

**Characters**: Blaise, Astoria, Draco and Pansy - Slytherin House.

**House**: Ravenclaw

notes: A huge thanks to my beta, **Persephone's flower**, who did a stunning job with helping me! Also, a note for the judges, just saying that you've all done an amazing job judging, and I'm really enjoying having feedback and constructive criticisms. & I would reply to all your lovely reviews, but considering for 5/7 days of the week I can't access FF, it would be hassle. But still, it is very much appreciated. Thank you :)

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**One Of Those Girls**

Blaise Zabini/Astoria Greengrass || Romance

One-Sided.

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_Should I hold my breath now she's looking at me_

_And I hope she knows I want her_

_What if she was looking at you not me_

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Being friends with Draco Malfoy was both a privilege and a punishment. Blaise treasured the alliance, of course. It meant that his broken family had at least a small chance of climbing up the social ladder. His mother had approved whole-heartedly of his new friendship with the pureblood legend. It also meant that no one – with the exception of a few idiot Gryffindors – dared to mess with him.

Like every good thing in life, being friends with Draco definitely had its down sides. Most of which Blaise couldn't care less about. He wasn't comfortable with blending into the background and often made a spectacle of himself. He was open, and had no problem with disagreeing with Draco and enjoyed attempting to upstage him. However, their acquaintanceship was not something Blaise was willing to let go of.

There was only one thing that Blaise truly hated Draco for. It turned out that he was quite the ladies' man. And with him as a friend, who on earth would even glance twice at Blaise? For a while, Blaise found this to be useful. No girl was good enough for him anyway, and fending off high-pitched squeals and sharp manicured nails wasn't very high on his to-do list.

Then he met Astoria Greengrass. He should've known something was wrong with that girl as soon as he'd heard her perfect sister, Daphne, badmouth her. According to Daphne, Astoria was a waste of space and not worth anyone's time. This was coming from the girl that everyone classified as the 'nice' Slytherin, so one would think that it meant something. Apparently not.

Astoria, like her sister, was placed in Slytherin. It was to easy to see why. Despite being one of the younger students in the school, she strutted around the place like she owned it, her nose held high and hips swinging. She never talked to anyone. When she did, it was only to scoff at the idiocy of somebody. She would then mock him or her cruelly.

She wasn't even pretty. With dirty blonde hair that was thrown into a messy, two-second ponytail and rather dull eyes, Astoria didn't naturally stand out amongst the crowd. For this reason, she didn't immediately capture Blaise's attention. He was picky and only wanted the best. Astoria just didn't make the cut.

It was when she begun to make a name for herself that he finally did look out for her. With her snobby demeanor and snappy comments, Astoria Greengrass slowly became a frequent conversation subject in the Slytherin common room and dorms. Gossip constantly focused on her, and soon Blaise found himself a little bit intrigued by the witch.

"Imagine that," Pansy Parkinson was saying, her beady eyes fixed on the blonde on the other side of the room. "I think she's staring at _you_, Blaise."

She was expecting him to snap his around to see whether she was telling the truth, but he shrugged in reply, masking his curiosity well. Beside her, Draco smirked, cocking his head to the side and following Pansy's line of vision. He stared for a while, before nodding his head in acknowledgement and turning back to Blaise.

"No. She was looking at me," Draco said with certainty.

"Does it matter?" Pansy sighed, tapping her fingers against the couch armrest. "It's not as if she'd be able to please him anyway. Damn fussy, aren't you, Blaise?"

Blaise didn't reply and merely looked away, his face void of emotion. There was something about Astoria that fascinated him. He wanted to get to know her. Had she really been looking at him? He highly doubted it. She probably had been looking at Draco. Every girl wanted a piece of Draco, and rumour had it that even some of the blokes did too.

But surely she wasn't one of those other girls?

Draco patted Blaise on the shoulder mockingly before winking and sauntering towards the girl. She flipped her hair, twirling a lock around her finger as she nodded and occasionally giggled as Draco talked in hushed whispers to her.

"What's he playing at?" Pansy hissed. "He can't fancy her."

"He probably doesn't," Blaise replied dryly, well aware of Pansy's infatuation. "But since when has that ever stopped him?"

Pansy glowered, grabbing Blaise's arm and tugging him towards the exit. "How about we leave before I vomit?"

He turned away with her, leaving the common room quickly. He cast a final glance over his shoulder, catching sight of Astoria shaking her head and smiling up at Draco. He knew it had been just too good to be true.

Maybe she was just one of those other girls after all.


	6. Week Six

**Challenge Six**.

**Character House**: Gryffindor - The only house I had yet to write about here.

**Missing Moment**: After Harry has left the Great Hall after being declared a TriWizard Champion. Hermione's point of view.

**House**: Ravenclaw

notes: A huge thank you goes out to **xana4 **for beta'ing for me. And a huge thanks to my friend Sparky for inspiring me with which missing moment to do :)

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**Breaks In The Bond**

Hermione Granger || Friendship

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The yells of protest hit a whole new level as Harry is escorted out of the Great Hall. First there had been silence – shock but now, everyone stands to level, fists are pumping in the air and my fellow students are shaking their heads and yelling. I think they're more annoyed than worried. Since when has anyone, other than Dumbledore and myself, cared about Harry's safety? Even Ronald, who I had always thought was behind Harry, is muttering spiteful words under his breath. I sit in shocked silence, the cries of the others blaring in my ears.

Questions are flooding my mind, they had been ever since I had nudged Harry forward. Was it possible for us to have a normal school year in Hogwarts? Though I would love to say differently, I think that ever since the incident on our first year I've always known that the answer to that question is no. Still, it would be nice, wouldn't it? Yes, a year in which Harry would not be chased by Dark Wizards or be thrusted into dangerous competitions would be nice.

"... I can't believe he didn't tell me!" Ron's fuming as he slams his palms against the table, standing while doing so. He rounds on me, his eyes narrowed in anger. "Did he tell you? Hell! I bet you helped him!"

My jaw drops in disbelief. How dare he? Does he honestly think that I, the girl that has stood by Harry for the last three years, would even consider doing such a stupid thing? People have filed out of the hall now, and I hold my ground, glaring defiantely back at him.

"I did not! Do you honestly think that he put his own name in?" I ask in disbelief, trying in vain to keep my tone even. I hurry on, knowing that should I pause for even a moment he will interrupt me. "Didn't you see the look on his face when his name was called out? He was surprised... shocked even!"

"Proud."

I bite my lip, my eyebrows furrowing in exasperation. Finally, I settle on replying, "You'd have to be stupid to believe that, Ronald."

Even as the words are leaving my mouth I know it's the wrong thing to say. He's always been sensitive about his short-comings – especially when compared with the lack of mine. Flinching, I wait for the explosion that is sure to come. And it does. A ferocious spew of incoherent words flood from his mouth, his eyes bulging and cheeks reddening as he yells. I'm thankful that the others have left the hall. How on Earth could I have explained _that_ to a professor?

"Ron... you're not saying that _you_ wanted to enter, are you?" I ask tentatively. The idea seems proposperous in my mind. Then again, he has been known for some outrageous things. Facing a three-headed dog, for example. But it would be pure madness to want to enter such a tournament. After all, people have _died_. To me, that screams: _Do Not Enter!_

At Ron's almost bashful face, I can't help but roll my eyes. The whole idea of actually entering the tournament is eternal glory. In the process of this, you may die. And yet he says that I'm the one that has to set my priorities straight?

"Harry didn't put his name in the cup, Ron," I say. Ignoring his spluttering, I plunder on. "Harry would _never_ do that. I can't believe you think otherwise. Don't you realize how dangerous this is?" Even though no one is in sight, I lower my voice, paranoia racking through my body. "Someone must have put his name in that cup. Someone that _isn't _Harry."

"And who would do that, Hermione?" Ron snaps. "Not everything is about the bloody Boy-Who-Lived, you know?"

"A lot is though," I retort. "For good reason too! People happen to be trying to kill him, in case you hadn't realized that yet, Ronald!"

"How could I _not_ notice? Harry this, Harry that... don't you ever shut up about him?"

I know that I'm getting too involved in this pitiful argument. There's no point to it - I know that, yet I can't help the hot tears stinging in my eyes that threaten to slip down my cheeks. With my voice worn from yelling, I whisper: "When did this become about me?"

He has no reply, and simply casts his eyes downward.

"He needs our support," I say. Seeing his outraged look, it's obvious that Ron doesn't agree. Not bothering to respond to this, I turn on my heel, my robes swinging as I leave the room.

Maybe Ginny will be able to knock some sense into her brother, after all, she is the master when it comes to manipulating boys.


	7. Week Seven

**Challenge Seven.**

**Given Pairing**: Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger

**Pairings Broken**: Draco Malfoy/Astoria Greengrass & Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley

**House**: Ravenclaw

notes: THIS IS THE FINAL CHALLENGE. A huge thank you to everyone that has been supportive during the last couple of months with this competition. I've found it incredibly fun, and am extremely glad that I entered. Also, a round of applause to the judges! They have been absolutely amazing, so thank you! *cue the applause*

& Thanks to Morghen for beta'ing for me :)

* * *

**No Regrets**

Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger || Romance

Affair

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There was nothing that Hermione regretted in her life. From lying to McGonagall in first year to compulsively kissing Ron during the Final Battle, there was nothing. Perhaps she needn't have wasted so many tears during the horcrux hunt, but no, there was nothing to regret or be ashamed of about that.

Draco Malfoy was an annoyance. He played a large, though not particularly spectacular, part in her life. He was simply the sort of person that Hermione could have lived happily without. Yet, not a moment she spent with him she regretted. Even the night when he had oh-so cleverly coaxed her into his dirty mind she wouldn't change.

It had been a few weeks after the battle. Wounds were still fresh, as were the tears. The Golden Trio was broken. Ron and Harry spent their time mourning. Hermione was too, of course, though it was worry for her parents that plagued her mind rather than the bloodshed. Everyone was in dire need of comfort. Hermione was no different.

Looking back, she supposes that she was wrong. In a way, she and Ron were together. She'd always been such a strong girl, too. It was weak of her to give into Draco's advances. Still, as she remembers the almost tender way his fingertips brushed her cheek, Hermione closes her eyes. And she doesn't regret a thing.

There hadn't been any strings attached. She was upset. He… well, he was willing. Neither was looking for anything more than comfort and a way to pass the time that seemed to be crawling by.

Perhaps, she shouldn't have become reliant on him. There were times – times when she was weak, which she still went to him. It pained her, true. Seeing Ron, her beloved husband, and her children's faces when she returned from a late night gave her a heavy heart. However, the feeling… The few minutes of pure bliss that Draco gave her seemed worth it. It still does.

Sometimes Hermione wonders about Astoria. She's a haughty woman. But surely, high and mighty Astoria isn't the faithful one? Even as a girl Astoria was never the faithful one. Times have changed though. Maybe Astoria, cold-hearted Astoria, has changed. And Draco, the one who switched sides midst the war, hasn't changed at all.

Perhaps, though she has no regrets, Hermione has changed too. Because since when did she need comfort from two men? Since when did she _lie_ to her best friends – to her family?

And when, exactly, did she stop caring?


End file.
